Loss of control

Immediately after take-off the aircraft was seen to enter a steep climbing turn to the left. After turning through about 135 deg, and at an estimated height of 100 to 150 ft agl, the aircraft suddenly pitched nose down and lost height. The aircraft collided with a tree prior to impacting the ground in a nose-low left wing down attitude. The investigation did not reveal any mechanical faults with the aircraft that could have contributed to this accident. The pilot had been flying and working long hours and had been seen to hurry his circuit procedures in the past. On this occasion adequate flying speed was not maintained for the manoeuvre being attempted. The turn after take-off was made into the late afternoon sun and it is possible that the pilot`s vision was affected by sun-glare.

The pilot reported that he was making a landing approach in 10 knot crosswind conditions. After the first touchdown he experienced difficulty in maintaining directional control and elected to carry out a go-around. On the subsequent approach the aircraft touched down prematurely and bounced. While airborne the aircraft commenced to drift to the right, before touching down and bouncing again. A go-around was initiated but the aircraft drifted further to the right and struck a fence 64 metres from the runway centre-line. It was estimated that the wind was actually gusting up to about 20 knots across the runway and was therefore above the maximum crosswind limit for the aircraft type. The pilot had been unable to maintain directional control during the go around and the tailwheel had snagged on the fence.

Circumstances:

The aircraft was to spread 600 Kilograms of nitrate on a local wheat crop. The weather was clear with a gusting 10 knot crosswind/tailwind from the left. Take-off from runway 04 was normal until as the tail was raised a swing developed to the left which could not be corrected by opposite rudder and braking. The aircraft veered off the runway the throttle was closed and the aircraft settled back on three wheels but continued to swing to the left. The pilot concerned he would collide with a levy bank to the left of the strip applied left brake in an attempt to ground loop the aircraft and stop. However, the right mainwheel sank into the soft surface resulting in damage to the right wing tailplane and tailwheel. The pilot later said that the gusting crosswind from the right plus the natural tendency of the aircraft to swing to the left could not be counteracted by opposite rudder and brake.

Circumstances:

With the wind from the right rear quarter at seven knots and 15 degrees of flap selected the pilot attempted a downhill take-off from a one-way 390 metre grass strip. The aircraft was about 100kg below maximum all up weight with the right fuel tank full and the left tank half full. The pilot reported that he flew the aircraft clear of the ground at an indicated airspeed of 50 knots after approximately two thirds of the strip length. Shortly after becoming airborne the stall warning sounded, and the aircraft yawed violently left. The aircraft collided with a fence before coming to a rest about 200 metres from the departure end of the strip. The pilot indicated that the aircraft became airborne at too low an airspeed and that this coupled with the fuel imbalance and the tail wind resulted in a loss of control.

Circumstances:

The pilot reported that after take-off he climbed the aircraft to approximately 500 feet where he levelled out. When he commenced a right turn, he heard a loud "snap" after which the aircraft would not respond to aileron control. The aircraft continued the turn out of control until impact with trees and the ground. The wreckage was examined by a licenced aircraft maintenance engineer who found that the damage to the controls was consistent with impact damage. No evidence of pre-impact damage was found.

The aircraft touched down about 160 metres past the threshold of the 650 metre strip and bounced. The pilot applied power to go around and progressively raised the flap, but the aircraft then began to sink and he was unable to prevent the left wing striking the ground. The aircraft cartwheeled and rapidly came to a halt. During the bounce the aircraft had drifted towards a tree on the right side of the strip. The pilot had commenced the left turn to avoid the tree and had not straightened the flight path for the go around. Flap retraction had been too rapid, considering the speed and attitude during the turn and the aircraft was probably in a stalled condition when contact with the ground occurred.

Following a period of dual instruction, the student was authorised to conduct a series of solo circuits and landings. On the first approach he lowered 30 degrees of flap and the aircraft touched down normally. After travelling about 50 metres, the aircraft veered sharply to the left, ran off the side of the strip, and came to rest in a shallow ditch just outside the boundary of the strip. The approach and landing had been conducted in light crosswind conditions. While compensating for these conditions, the pilot had probably inadvertently applied excessive forward pressure to the control column and a "wheel-barrow" situation developed. The elevator trim was found to be in the take-off position, which would have compounded the nose-down tendency during the landing roll.

During the take-off run the left wheel locked. The aircraft groundlooped to the left, the right gear leg collapsed and the nose section and right wing struck the ground. During prior maintenance of the left wheel hub the inboard bearing had not been correctly reinstalled and it subsequently collapsed into the centre of the wheel assembly during the take-off run.

Circumstances:

The pilot reported losing thermal activity during the return leg of a cross-country task. On descending to 2000 feet above ground level, she elected to carry out an outlanding and selected a field. The pilot reported experiencing difficulty on maintaining wings level on final approach. The glider apparently struck the ground with the left wingtip during the attempted landing and spun through 180 degrees, sustaining substantial damage. A site inspection of the ground marks and wreckage trail by the club Chief Flying Instructor indicated that the landing had apparently been carried out downwind.

Circumstances:

The aircraft was one of two being used to muster a large paddock and was being operated by an experienced mustering pilot with a trainee mustering pilot on board. At the completion of the paddock muster, the aircraft was carrying out yard up operations which required manoeuvres at low altitudes. Whilst chasing a breakaway beast, the pilot turned tightly, and a main rotor blade contacted the ground. The aircraft tumbled forward and came to rest on its side. It is probable that the pilot was concentrating his attention on the escaping beast and did not pay sufficient attention to flying his aircraft.